Cargill's Sucromalt Work with USDA's Agricultural Research Service Receives Federal Laboratory Consortium Award
Cargill and ARS worked together on sucromalt, a natural sweetener that delivers the full energy of regular sugar but has a lower glycemic index. Sucromalt provides a blunted glycemic response in the body.
09/05/08 Scientists from the Midwest Area of the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) - the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) chief in-house scientific agency - and Cargill will receive an "Award for Excellence in Technology Transfer" from the Federal Laboratory Consortium (FLC) on May 8 at the FLC National Meeting in Portland, Ore.
The FLC is a nationwide network of federal laboratories that provides the forum to develop strategies and opportunities for linking laboratory mission technologies with the marketplace. The FLC technology transfer award recognizes laboratory employees who have accomplished outstanding work in the process of transferring a technology developed by a federal laboratory.
This award recognizes the collaboration between the ARS and Cargill on the food and beverage ingredient sucromalt, a novel low-glycemic index sweetener.
Cargill and ARS worked together on sucromalt, a natural sweetener that delivers the full energy of regular sugar but has a lower glycemic index. Because sucromalt provides a blunted glycemic response in the body, it can help people keep blood sugar levels more balanced.
Prior to Cargill's involvement, ARS chemist, Gregory R. Cote, and ARS geneticist, Timothy Leathers, produced microorganism strains to over-produce an enzyme that rearranges sugar molecules.
Cargill then licensed the ARS-patented research, and Cargill researchers Dr. Ting Carlson and Dr. Anton Woo began collaborating with the ARS team. Cargill went on to conduct internal research targeting specific sugar and digestion profiles necessary to turn this enzyme technology into a marketable product. The result is Cargill's low-glycemic (GI ~ 53) index sweetener, Xtend sucromalt.
"Xtend sucromalt provides food and beverage makers with a natural and slow release carbohydrate syrup," said Anne Mollerus, global product line manager, Cargill Health & Nutrition. "This fully digestible, low-glycemic syrup provides sweetness and body in one ingredient for products including nutritional beverages and bars, ice cream, jams and jellies, and yogurts."
